"Stop it! You're family! Families aren't supposed to hurt each other, they're supposed to protect and love each other!" my mother yelled as she pulled me off my sister as I managed to get one more dig at her face that burst the top of her eyebrow.

"I'm fucking leaving!" I said grabbing my gym bag.

"Why can't you two get along you used to be so close when you were kids" she said her breath catching in her throat with panic.

I know this seems like a typical sibling fight but it wasn't. My sister and I haven't seen eye to eye in years. Everything was fine until I showed up on the doorstep looking for a place to stay. Unfortunately my sister was still sponging off my mother's limited means while I stupidly moved out with someone who I thought loved me, Peter, but actually just wanted to use me as a punch bag and of course, me being the little weak girl I was, let him. It was only until he came in one night drunk as a monkey and bet me until I was an inch from death did I decide I needed to do something about this. I secretly began going to the gym, taking the beatings as usual biding my time until after about a year I was lean and strong enough to hit back. I had found a gym that trained boxers and specialised in martial arts so I asked if they could train me. At first they weren't going to do it but once I told them my reasoning and saw how I focused my anger into the punch bag, they were more than happy to have me. I waited and waited and waited until the ultimate test was put before me. I had to fight one of the guys in the gym. The first round I got my arse kicked but then I noticed his moves so when the second round came, I was ready for him. I bopped around and got in around him and managed to knee him in the ribs... So that night I knew it was time. He came home drunk as usual, ripped off the sheet from over me on the bed and climbed on top. He was so drunk he couldn't even undo his trousers. While I waited for him to lose his patience and start laying into me I was planning my attack. I had angled my body so my hands were free to start laying into him. He slapped my face lightly trying to wake me and when I refused I could feel him raising his fist. I caught it mid-air and used his surprise to head-butt him right between the eyes. He fell to the side and I clambered on top and proceeded to pound his face into the mattress. I heard him wheezing under me, his face throbbing along with my knuckles and I knew I was done. I packed what I had left to pack and left.

"Mom, can you not see she's a parasite? She's living off you until you have no more. She uses your money to buy pills and booze for her and her skanky boyfriend!" I yelled as I filled up my water bottle.

I knew she was listening but she knew mom would never believe me.

"Yea coz your guy was a regular Prince Charming" she scowled.

"Where are you going?" my mother questioned ignoring my sister's snide comment.

"I'm going to the gym" I said shoving past my sister in the tiny hallway.

I began to jog, too annoyed to just walk. I was breaking out in a sweat by the time I got to the gym. I said hey to everyone I knew not bothered to get involved with small talk. I went into the same toilet to get changed since there was no female dressing room. I don't blame them; I'm the only female that uses this gym. It's not really worth it for one person. I walked out and saw immediately there was someone on my bag. Mousey brown hair, thick with muscle, tattoos stretched across his thick arms…pretty average clientele of this gym. He seemed pretty engrossed in his workout so I decided not to say anything to him. I walked to the bag next to that one. He didn't even look up as I walked past throwing my blonde hair up in a messy pony tail. From time to time I glanced at this new guy. I had never seen him before, believe me I would have noticed him.

He eventually stopped and took a long drink. He glanced over at me and I looked up.

"Hey" I panted.

He just ignored me and turned towards the ring in the centre of the floor. What a prick. He tore off his gloves and waltzed over. I stopped to take a drink and watched what was going on while my heart beat in my ears. He mumbled something to the main trainer before walking off. Then I heard the main man fighting in this big Sparta match that all the guys have been banging on about for weeks say something to him. He turned back and mumbled something else. I got more curious so I moved more towards the ring as this new guy hopped straight in. He whipped off his hoody and threw it to the corner before getting his hands strapped up with tape. He wasn't going to fight him was he? He'll be killed. I walked towards the ring spraying water into my mouth watching. He looked back around at me again; his stare boring into my eyes before turning back around. I knew this was going to be the last time I'd see him because Mad Dog is going to crush him. But then out of nowhere this new kid threw a sharp kick to Mad Dog which took him by surprise followed by well-placed punches and kicks to the lower body before repeated blows to the head before he was unconscious. It was all over in an instance and I stood there mouth agape. He mumbled something to Carl before hopping out of the ring back towards me.

"What?" he mumbled.

"Nothing…that was amazing"

He just shrugged his shoulders and wiped his face.

"I haven't seen you around"

"Yea and"

"What's your name?"

He just ignored me like I wasn't even there.

"What kind of girl are you, in a place like this?"

"I'm a girl all right just had to deal with an abusive boyfriend that needed to be taught a lesson"

"Stupid fuck"

"Excuse me?"

"Staying with an abusive boyfriend? What kind of dumb bitch are you?" he muttered packing his bag. Unbeknownst to me, images were flashing through his mind of the abuse his mother had suffered, which he was witness to. He shook his head slightly trying to blur the horrible images running through his mind.

"Excuse me but who the fuck do you think you are?" I shouted.

He picked up his bag, fixed his woolly hat on his head and walked past me storming out the door but not before stopping and giving me an icy glare.

I punched the bag in a rage. "Did you see that prick?" I shouted at the trainer.

"That prick just knocked out my best bet for winning Sparta" he snapped slapping Mad Dog's cheeks every so often.

I was so pissed off I worked out and didn't feel the hours roll by. Before I knew it they were closing up the gym for the night. I got changed and went to find my trainer only to run into the owner.

"Hey I'm leaving, see you tomorrow"

"Hey actually hold up a second!" he said shouting from the office.

"I saw you talking to Tommy earlier"

"Who's Tommy?"

"The guy who punched out Mad Dog…you were talking to him earlier, you don't have any info about where he might be now do you?"

"Eh no, I didn't even know his name. I tried but he just called me a dumb bitch and left so we're hardly best friends" I said shrugging my shoulders.

"O ok right well we have an address…anyway I'll talk to you tomorrow yea?"

"Yea cool" I said turning on my heel and walking out the door.

Why was he all of a sudden so interested in that prick?

I blocked that dickhead I had encountered in the gym that day out of my mind. When I got home I noticed the house was in darkness. Where was everyone? I switched on the lamp in the living room and saw my mother asleep on the couch. I crept quietly out and into the kitchen but someone switched on the light before I got a chance. It was Peter.

"Hey Erika" he smiled.

"Peter what the fuck are you doing here? Does my mother know you're here?"

"Are you kidding? No, I crept in while she was asleep, must be whacked out on pills because that was hours ago" he said glancing at the clock.

"What do you want?"

"I'm here because…well I wasn't too fond of what you did last time" he said taking off his sport coat. Looks like I wasn't the only one who bulked up recently. He was a tank. He was always big but it was more soft and flabby than muscle but now…he was ripped and I was in trouble. I knew it; he had come here to tune me up since I did it to him the last time. But this time I was ready for him. Just as I was getting into my starter position another guy I didn't recognise emerged from the darkness of the laundry room. I felt my stomach drop and I started to sweat.

"It occurred to me…since you were Miss fighting champion all of a sudden…" he said taking a long piece of wood out from behind the bin and I noticed cable ties sticking out of his pocket "I thought I'd come prepared…like you did that night" he sneered. This was about pride and ego more than anything else. Peter wouldn't like the fact a girl had knocked him out, that would eat away at him inside.

"Now I'm giving you an option…come home with me now or…well you're smart enough to figure out the rest"

I had already marked the door I came in for my escape but I suppose if you live with someone long enough they get to grips with your moves.

"And don't run…like a rat because if you do who's gonna look after your ma?" he sneered. He laughed lowly to himself watching my reaction. The sudden realisation that I could be leaving my house tomorrow in a box hit me like a fucking train.